Death toll rises to 4 in southwest China helicopter crash

KUNMING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- All the four crew members on board a helicopter were confirmed dead after it crashed into a lake in Dali City, southwest China's Yunnan Province Monday morning, local authorities said Tuesday.

Two crew members were rescued at around midday Monday, but died after emergency medical treatment failed. Two other members were found at around 2:55 a.m. Tuesday and confirmed dead.

The helicopter crashed into the Erhai Lake at 10:20 a.m. Monday as it was attempting to draw water to clear and irrigate a burnt area caused by a forest fire, said the information office of the Dali municipal government.

The fire broke out on Sunday in a forest and was extinguished early Monday. A total of 2,532 people were mobilized to extinguish the fire.